Excuses
by Chloe Nash
Summary: Jude is dying, Can Tommy handle the heat? JudeTommy.
1. Prelude to Dinner

A.N.- This is my first Instant Star FanFic and I hope to do the show justice. I will try to keep a general Idea of what is going on with the show as it does but i cannot promise anything. as always the plost characters and other sch information are solely the producers directors, and most importantly writers, of Instant Star, 's Property. I do not own them.

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"It always starts with Once Upon a Time. And yet again it does. Once Upon a Time in a kingdom not long ago, a beautiful princess named Jude walked out of her beautiful dream castle and sang her way straight into hell. It was all the fault of her evil sister, Sadie, who stole Princess Jude's prince. And that was only the beginning. "Jude Harrison mumbled to herself as she dried the black Pyrex plates. Setting them out on the table she did a quick count of chairs and found herself two short for the evening. Jude looked at her list of people and muttered the names and people on it:

"Mother and Divorce Lawyer, on opposite sides of the table of course, Dad and Travel Agent on opposite sides leaving dad on the side with D.L. and Mom on the side with T.A. so basically mom and dad sit across from one another and D.L. and T.A. Sadie can sit across from Kat and Patsy can sit across from Kwest. Tommy is at one head of the table and I'm at the other. Speed can sit next to me across from Jamie. Okay."

Jude breathed all this out quickly making sure to place each setting perfectly. "One Big plate under one smaller plate which is under one bowl, with a fork on one side and a knife and spoon on the other." Setting all this up she was unaware of the eyes watching behind her. Jude was in the midst of setting up for her first Thanksgiving dinner in which she'd try to appease everyone. She set out wine glasses and water glasses, and made sure to calmly pat the copper colored silk tablecloth that lay under everything. She shook her blonde hair back and walked picked up the gothic styled candelabra off the chair. Placing in it three cranberry colored candles she backed up slowly to get a glimpse of the whole picture. Suddenly realizing that she forgot to put out the cranberry napkins she jumped in alarm hearing a faint whooshing noise behind her.

"Harrison, you'd best watch where your elbows are going" said a calm cool Tom Quincy. Eyeing up Jude's disheveled look complete with messy blonde hair and flour on her cheek, he also noticed the blush that rose to her cheeks.

"Well Quincy if you wouldn't stand straight behind a girl in a seemingly empty apartment you wouldn't have had to watch for my elbows." Jude's snappy attitude made Quincy smile before he lost his resolve. She looked tired and obviously beaten when her shoulders sagged at the sound of the buzzer in the kitchen.

"Go upstairs and relax Jude. I've got it all under control." Before she could even argue he pushed past her and quickly added the stunning napkins to the scene. She slinked out of the room and into her bedroom aware of the eyes watching her hips move sullenly across the floor. She lay down on a purple covered bed, and let her eyes close into blissful sleep. When what seemed to her like an hour had passed, she flipped over and felt a warm body nest to her. The smell was Tommy Q, and she wrapped herself into him and relaxed yet again as he held her in his arms.


	2. Was It Only A Dream?

In the middle of a particularly explicit dream between Jude, and Tommy, Jude felt a shaking at her shoulder and heard a voice calling her and rousing her from her dream of medieval fornication and knights in shining armor.

"Jude! C'mon princess, you gotta get dressed. Everyone is going to be showing up and the turkey's almost done." Her prince called out. Jude rolled over and groaned loudly. Tommy leaned down and kissed her quickly on her forehead

"C'mon baby, I need to make sure you're up so I can go home and make myself look like I wasn't sleeping ten minutes ago." Jude huffed but rolled out from under the covers

"Alright I'm up! I'm going I'm going!" Jude grumbled. Tommy leaned forward and scrunched up her already tousled hair.

"Okay honey, the turkey is ready to come out whenever, your dress is hanging on the bathroom door, and the water's already running in there for a shower." At this Tommy paused and Jude's eyebrow arched coyly "for you and only you." Tommy leaned to her and kissed her quickly before dashing out of her apartment leaving her alone again.

Jude sighed loudly and stripped off her jeans and T-shirt stepping into the warm shower. As she let the water run over her she thought of Tommy and his hands, all over her. She shook her head and finished her shower quickly, realizing that she didn't have the time to be fantasizing about what could happen and that she should be preparing for the stressful dinner to come.

She stepped out of the shower and towel dried her hair letting it fall onto her shoulders. She combed through it, and gasped as large chunks fell out into her comb. _I'm sure it's just from that recent bleaching_ Jude murmured within her head. As she slipped the soft silky dress over her head she noticed a large purple bruise on her upper arm. She frowned before realizing that she'd recently bumped into the door. _I'll go to the doctor's next Tuesday, that way I won't miss any work. _She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang. She slipped into a pair of black sling back heels and walked to the door opening it to see Sadie, Jamie, and Kat. Sadie brushed into the doorway and gave a quick kiss on her sister's cheek before stepping into the apartment.

"Well I thought you'd have something a little bigger, but, it suits you. These two tried to drive in the Katmobile, and failed. The engine stalled outside Jamie's house so I dragged them along." Sadie's crystal blue eyes scanned the dining room, and her smile fell when she saw who she was placed by in the seating. She also saw Tommy's leather driving jacket sitting on the chair at the opposite head of the table.

"Tommy was here then?" Sadie snarled out, before sitting at her assigned seat. She shot Jude a deadly look. Jude barely had the time to reciprocate the look before the doorbell rang again and in poured the rest of her guests.

About twenty minutes until the dinner was to start Tommy was missing, and Jude and her family and guests were getting restless. Finally Tommy appeared in the doorway. Jude gaped at him, his black Italian shirt and worn jeans commenting his dark hair and blue eyes. He winked at Jude and took his seat at the head of the table. Jude brought out the food and came back in to Tommy speaking to her father in the hallway. _Dad's never liked Tommy, so why is he smiling?_ Jude thought suspiciously. They sat down as she poured the final glass of red wine and they all stood and took hands to say grace. The three most intense looks were being given by Sadie, her eyes shooting daggers into Jude, Tommy, his love warming her over, and Speed whose lust was completely evident by the drooling look he gave her.

The dinner passed peacefully with talk of food, and apartments, and future tours. As Jude passed the pumpkin pie, Tommy stood up and retrieved something from the pocket of his coat. Jude was oblivious to everything, and when she neared his end of the table he brought her to his side.

"I'd like to make a toast. To Jude whose hard work and hard earned cash is providing for this fine feast tonight. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. "Tommy Paused as the unanimous voice around the table echoed the toast "To Jude!". Tommy continued slowly. "Jude I've wanted to ask you something for a while now," Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box and knelt down on one knee. As he was doing this Sadie was slowly walking around the table with a large glass of red wine in her hand. "Jude will you ma-"He was stopped by a splash of red wine in his face.

"You bastard" Sadie said dropping the expensive crystal onto the hard wood floor shattering it. "I hope you rot in hell" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the apartment. Jude looked as if she were going to cry. So Tommy returned to his knee, on the glass covered floor, and looked her in the eyes.

"Jude, will you marry me?" Tommy asked opening the black velvet box revealing the stunning white gold engagement ring.

"Oh Tommy Yes!" Jude cried as he slipped it on her finger.

And then the alarm clock rang. Jude groggily sat up and then looked at her hand to see if there really was a ring there or if she simply dreamed that part of last night's dinner…

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A.N- someone gave me a great idea with the dream theme… THANK YOU! And thanks to all who reviewed for me! I love you all and I hope you enjoy it!

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	3. The Fall of Tommy Q

A.N – Soooo sorry about the cliffhanger, but thank you all for reviewing! I got some great ideas from some of you, and I got some people who notice the fine details of last chapter. So in conclusion, thank you all and I promise you everything ends up as it should, but you may drop a tear or two along the way. This chapter is going to be short… I had classes and some stuff to do

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Jude looked at her hand sleepily, the sparkling ring glaring back at her. She smiled happily and then shrieked as the tanned arm grabbed her and pulled her back down onto the bed. She rolled over and looked into the icy blue eyes of her fiancée. Tommy leaned in to kiss her neck and then stopped, looking at her with worry in his eyes. 

"Jude what's this?" Tommy asked, motioning to a string of bruises on her left arm

"Huh? Oh that's nothing; I just banged into the door yesterday." Jude said curling herself protectively against Tommy's body.

"Jude, I'm serious, we need to get you to see a doctor." Tommy pulled back the covers and looked at her, noticing bruises all up and down her body, including on her lower stomach and back, where Tommy had held her as they roughly made love last night.

He looked at her expectantly, and then his eyes grew wide as a drop of blood rolled out of her nose and down her lip. Jude obliviously wiped it away. Tommy touched her cheek and walked to the chair in the bedroom where he had carelessly flung his clothes after a passionate kiss in the dining room.

"Jude, get dressed, I'm taking you to see a friend of mine." Tommy said as he pulled the black shirt over his head.

"Tommy, I'm fine!" Jude said impatiently, and then paled as nausea wiped over her. She shook it off a little and then reached for her jeans and a t-shirt. As she leaned over to slip on her shoes, her nausea took the best of her and she collapsed onto the ground. Tommy ran over to the side of the bed, while simultaneously dialing a number on his phone.

"Dr. Michael Kensington, Cancer Specialist" he yelled at the operator

"Hello?" A deep voice rang out over the phone.

"Mike, it's Tommy, Jude's real sick, and I don't know what it is!" Tommy yelled loudly. "I'm on my way to the hospital now, meet me in front." Tommy's voice was filled with panic, and he closed his phone and scooped Jude up, carefully laying her in his viper. He sped the entire way to the hospital. He took Jude's pale, limp hand in his, and checked for a pulse. There was one there, but it was faint, and Tommy pushed on the gas even more.

"C'mon Jude baby, don't leave me!" Tommy screamed as his precious car went straight into the back of an ambulance. He bounced off the airbag safely, not a scratch on him, but when he looked at Jude, he noticed a gash on her forehead that was bleeding profusely.

"Are you crazy man?" a paramedic cried out. "you could've killed someone!" Tommy didn't have time to play around with a paramedic who was annoyed with the scratch Tommy's dented viper left on the ambulance door. He picked Jude up and carried her in to Mike.

"She collapsed at her apartment, and then I ran into the ambulance because I couldn't feel her pulse" Tommy quickly explained. Dr. Michael Kensington looked at Tommy with respect, and asked him to sit in the waiting room while they woke her up and stitched her head. Two hours later, Tommy was still pacing when Michael came out of the room with Jude.

"Tommy, I think you'd better sit down for this" he started

"Is she okay?" Tommy interrupted. "That's all I need to know. Is. She. Okay. ?"

"She's awake and breathing on her own, her head needed five stitches, but there's more." Tommy sat down. "Jude is pregnant, and the baby will die, but so will she if we don't treat the cancer." Tommy stood up, and instantly regretted his decision. He saw stars and then black, and felt a block of floor rise up to meet his head.


	4. The Ice Queen cries

A.N.- Okay, I love how you are all commenting. I'd like to let you know that the bits of hair falling out are from her pregnancy… the hormonal imbalance... just thought I'd let you guys know that… I know that the chemicals due to chemotherapy are the reason you lose your hair, but I wanted to make sure that I added let you all know that there was a method to my madness…

This Is a long chapter. I'm sorry.

WARNING: This chapter is a tearjerker, it is also an "I'm about to reach in that story and slap insert character name here" let's just not slap the author….

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"I'm scared mommy." Said a small raspy voice

"I know baby, but don't worry, the angels will take care of you, and you can look down on me and take care of me here" said a young tearful female voice.

"I'm sorry I took the cookies from the cookies jar." The little voice rasped out.

"Shhh baby, don't talk." Replied the woman, her tears catching in her throat and causing her voice to falter

"I love you mommy" Said the small voice.

"I love you too baby." Said the woman before letting out a wail of agony as the machines let out a mournful steady note, before being shut off.

Tommy's head swirled as he sat up in bed. His confusion deepened as he looked at white walls and a curtain. He coughed up phlegm and heard the wail from the curtain next to him. He sat up hesitantly, and looked in the part of the room hidden by the white and blue striped curtain. A lovely young woman leaned over the bed of a small little boy, crying, as she held the little boy's hand, and then gently placed his hands in an angelic position on his chest. Tommy coughed again and this time the woman jumped and looked at him, shocked.  
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you" Tommy started "My name is Tom Quincy, and I was wondering if you were alright, or if you needed to talk to someone." The woman looked at her feet and then nodded. Tommy smiled and motioned for her tom come and sit on his hospital bed. "What's your name?" he asked

"My name is Gina McArdles. I don't usually tell people about my life, but I just need to let this all go. That little boy is-no, was- my son."

She paused for a moment as tears flowed down her already tear-streamed cheeks.

"He's seven. When he was two years old, the doctors told me that he had a malignant tumor in his stomach. It was then that his father, my boyfriend from high school, left. He'd said it was 'too hard to deal with' and walked out on me. I was just over seventeen then. I've been raising him on welfare ever since. My family has been very kind, offering care, and financial help. I just turned twenty two about a month ago. That was when the doctors told me my son had a deadline."

Her next two sentences were laden with bitter sarcasm. "They told me that my son had a two month expiration date. And that I was to take him home until he became very sick. They needed the beds for patients who were able to be cured. I watched my son die in his room. His hair was gone from the chemo, his spirit gone from the cancer; he looked like a holocaust survivor, except I knew he wasn't going to survive. He had few friends over, but still insisted on going to school. He wanted to be strong, and he was. He let me cry on his shoulders so many times." She was sobbing now. "I don't think I've ever met a sweeter gentler boy. And I don't know what I'd do without him." She slowly regained her composure. "Anyways the doctors told me about three hours that I'd need to call in my family. He was barely alive on life support. I called everyone, including his father. They all came to say their goodbyes, and his father brought his new trophy bride. He said goodbye to each of them, but when it was my turn, he apologized for stealing cookies from the cookie jar, and his last words to me were 'I love you mommy'." Gina was wailing now, and Tommy wrapped his arm around her to console her. She was rocking back and forth crying out words like "my baby!" Tommy was slightly grateful when her family came in to help her home. She stopped next to the bed of the angel child, and rested her hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead. She was sobbing silently as she whispered to her dead son "I love you baby, protect that man in the bed next to you. I think he needs you more than I do." She kissed his forehead one more time, and was escorted sobbing from the room by her weeping family.

Tommy left the room and went down to visit Jude, He still was confined to a wheelchair because of his concussion, and he rolled down the hall into Jude's room. She was sleeping, her blonde hair surrounding her head like a halo. Pure purple orchids, breathtaking red roses, and stunning orange tiger lilies were arranged in various vases around the room. Tommy leaned in to see her and stroked her hair while he sat in his wheelchair.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. It's the bastard traitor." A steely voice rang out in the cold room. Tommy got chills up his spine can could've sworn the room temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Sadie Harrison, the queen of cold walked right in and sat on Tommy's lap.

"Sadie, get off me. I'm Jude's now." She advanced towards his lips until he shouted "SADIE!" Finally she kissed him. His hands were pinned under her denim clad butt, and he couldn't pull back. When Jude heard the shout she rolled awake slowly and looked around the room to see Tommy and Sadie. Her parched throat made it hard to say anything so she said the one thing that made the most sense.

"Tommy?" At this Sadie released Tommy from the kiss. She pecked his cheek quickly, and as she walked out the door, with a smirk that could freeze ice in hell, she loudly shouted over her shoulder; "I can't wait till you're able to come to bed again Q-baby"

After she left Tommy turned to Jude and she said the two words that turned his heart to stone "Get. Out." Tommy stammered in, "Jude! It wasn't- I didn't- Jude!" She looked him in the eye. Steely cold blue eyes meeting steely cold blue eyes, both full of pride. "Get. Out. Now."

"Jude"

"Out" This time Jude pointed out the door, and rolled over to look out the window. She dealt a swift blow to his ego and his heart in her next phrase.

"You can always have Sadie come and entertain you while I die slowly."

"Jude"

"Just go" she said with a finalization to her words. He wheeled himself out of the room, and when she made sure he was gone, she started sobbing. Jude failed to notice the steel blue eyes of the Ice Queen herself, to her own surprise, found filling with tears outside Jude's doorway.


	5. I'll Cover you

A.N. This is going to be a short chapter. I'm sorry, but I didn't have much time to make it longer, and this is mostly in memories anyways… thanks for commenting!

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"Jude, Tommy, I have the results of the testing." Dr. Kensington told the couple. It had been three weeks since Jude was admitted into the hospital. Tommy had been released after two days, and Jude was admitted into the cancer ward. After the Sadie fiasco, Jude was furious, and refused to speak to Tommy for almost three weeks. When the doctor told her that her results were in though, Tommy showed up just when she wished she had him there. He sat next to her in her bed and carefully held her shaking hand.

"Jude, you have Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia." Jude gasped causing the doctor to pause. "Please do not worry; we are able to cure this kind of thing. I promise you. We are going to do everything that we can here to help you." Tommy hugged Jude and tuned out the doctors words. He whispered that he'd be back shortly. And left the room.

He climbed into his car and drove very fast towards a high cliff. He stopped his dented viper, and got out. Hopping the fence, he went to a large table like rock. He sat on it and looked out into the sky, with tears flowing down his face.

"_Dad I want a Thunderbird" said Pyralis, Tommy's 15 year old sister. When Tommy's career started to take off, he bought her one, a beautiful purple 1956 thunderbird with soft leather interior, and fuzzy black dice hanging in the window. He still remembered her, tanned skin, for hours at the beach, black hair, straight as a bone, and green eyes, so green they could cut a hole in the floor. She sat behind that steering wheel and cranked the radio up. He remembered the hug she gave him when he showed it to her. Then he remembered the fight. _

"_Tommy, please don't freak on me… you promised me that I could tell you anything and that you'd understand" She started, her red teary eyes starting to well up again. _

"_Pyre, you know that I wouldn't." Tommy said reassuringly._

"_Tommy I'm pregnant." She cried out. Tommy's face got very pale and he said_

"_You're not keeping it._

"_Yes Tommy, I am."_

"_WHY? WHY DID YOU RUIN YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT? YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS BABY!" Tommy screamed at her._

"_Fine I'll leave. But I hope that when you fall in love, you don't get to have her. I hope she dies when you find that one that you want to be with forever. That's who Gabriel is. I'm going to tell him tonight and then I'll move in with him and I'll be happy because he loves me!" She sobbed out. "I HATE YOU!" she cried, slamming the door, and starting the engine of her beautiful car. _

_Later that night Tommy got a call saying they had found his sister's car over the cliff. They were unable to find her body though. Tommy called up Gabriel and asked him about the evening she died. _

"_What happened?" Tommy asked calmly._

"_Well, she told me about the baby, and then I had to tell her about…about… about the fact that I have AIDS. I'm sorry man. I didn't find out until three hours before she told me about the baby. I told her that I couldn't take care of the baby. She got angry and said 'he was right about you'. Then she took off. Did they find her yet?" Gabriel asked hopefully._

"_No" said Tommy. About a week after that phone call Tommy found a collapsed Pyralis on his doorstep. He took her to the hospital, but due to undernourishment, and serious injuries caused by the accident, she wasn't able to survive, and Tommy kicked himself everyday because of what he had said to her the night she left. _

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"WHY GOD? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO HER? SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! GIVE ME THE CANCER, DON'T DO THIS TO JUDE!" Tommy screamed before collapsing on the rock in sobs. Tommy sat on that rock and then got on his knees and prayed.

"Pyralis, I don't know whether or not to believe in God, but I do believe in you. Please help Jude. I'm so sorry about everything. Please." He looked down at the ground. And heard a faint whisper "Tommy" He looked back and saw his sister, beautiful, and in a long flowing white gown. She stepped towards him, and they hugged.

"I'm so sorry about everything" he said crying.

"Forgiven" she whispered and then he stood there for a moment before realizing that she was gone. He still could smell the vanilla that Jude always wore. That's why he loved her so much, because she wore vanilla. He smelled vanilla all the way to the hospital. He bought a dozen red roses and ran to Jude's room, and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately and handing her the roses.

"I love you, I'll cover you." he said now aware of Sadie's presence.

"I love you too." Jude replied, feeling elated as Sadie left the hospital room, in tears.


	6. Drugs

AN-I know I've been adding a lot of other people in here, and I'm sorry. It's going somewhere...i think... I hope i have a point. well anyways... It's kind of sad...but not really... Read and review thanks  
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As usual i own nothing

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Jude cried out in pain and her arm strained against the restraints. Her blonde hair thrashed about, the red roots starting to show. Tommy's hand reached under her head as it hit the pillow and he pressed his lips to her forehead as she struggled against the chemo. 

"Shhh baby, Shhh. It's okay, I've got you, and it's going to be okay" Tears slipped from his eyes and fell into her hair as she finally relaxed to the chemo. He slipped his hand out from under her head and noticed clumps of hair littering where her sweaty head had lain. He balled them up and went to throw them away, but her arm grabbed his.

"Please don't Tommy. Put it in the bag." She weakly pointed to a lone black bag sitting on a windowsill. Inside he found more clumps of her beautiful hair. His fingers ran over it until a petite nurse tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ummm..Mr.uh-" She stammered

"Quincy. Tommy Quincy" He reaffirmed

"Mr. Quincy may I please speak to you in the hall?" said the nurse. He nodded and recognized that pained look. He knew that this was about the baby.

"Ummm Mr. Quincy, we must give Jude a combination of drugs called mifepristone and misoprostol to abort the pregnancy." She paused after seeing the pained look on Tommy's face, and then continued "Unfortunately, due to her current condition, we are unable to have her sign for the drugs herself, so we must have her family member sign for them. Who may we contact?" she asked, her blue eyes looking into his hopefully

"Me…Um me… I am her fiancé. I'll sign." Tommy said as he reached for the pen and clipboard. He scrawled his signature on the lines designated for his signature, and then went in to sit with Jude.

Soon the petite nurse came back in with another bag to hang on the IV. She slipped it on and then patted Tommy's shoulder as his silent tears wet the bedspread. The petite nurse stopped at the door and turned to Tommy.

"She'll live you know. But be careful now, she'll start to jump a bit, the meds burn, and in about a week she might become depressed." Her hands moved to her arms "I should know." Tommy looked at her and asked if he could buy her coffee so he could hear her story. She nodded, and told him to wait in the cafeteria until she punched out. And Tommy waited, holding a Styrofoam cup of coffee and looking haggard, and unshaven. The petite nurse came and sat down as he pushed the other cup on the table over towards her.

"I can't get through this if I stop so please just let me continue." She waited for his agreement, and when she saw his head nod she continued "I was only seventeen. I had finally had a break in the before tense year. I decided to volunteer in the cancer ward, when I met this young boy who was also working there. We dated for a while and eventually we made love on the one normal night of my life, Prom night. Afterwards, I had started to get sick again, every morning throwing up all day, fatigue, the usual. Well I went to my doctor, and she told me I was pregnant. I went to the boy and he told me he could never take care of the child. His siblings were both struggling with cancer, and his family was completely broke. Then he delivered the biggest shock of all. He had AIDS. I was devastated, I almost crashed on the way to the hospital, and then gave myself the pills needed for an abortion. Then I slit my wrists in a bedpan, and collapsed on the emergency room floor. My suicide note said 'AIDS, let me die'. And I almost did. My director at the time came in to collect me for rounds, and found me. They stitched my wounds up and let me live. My baby died. For about a week after I was kept in lockdown because of the drugs, and the fear of my suicide attempt. I've never gotten over it. I now take AZT often to keep my AIDS in check, and I can never return to my family. They disowned me once they learned about the baby." She was crying now, and Tommy was too, thinking about his sister. She patted his arm and said

"Love her and take care of her. She'll only be harmful to herself. Thanks for the coffee Q." She walked away, her petite figure and pale skin glowing. Tommy smiled to himself thinking of how she reminded him of Pyralis.

"Oh Pyra" he said, and the nurse turned to him

"What did you call me?" She said wide eyed.

"Pyra? I was talking to myself, my sister…her story is exactly like yours." He said tears already falling steadily from his eyes.

"I haven't been called Pyra since…" The nurse said, and then her Green eyes opened wide. "TOMMY!"

"Pyra?" Tommy said his tears now flowing off his chin as he ran to hug her

"I didn't think it was you. Oh Tommy" She said hugging him. Then a young nurse's aide came to the doorway.

"Ms. Quinn, It' the Harrison girl, She frightened, and sweating up a storm!" She out-of-breath aide motioned for her to follow and they ran up the stairs together. Tommy let a final tear fall and then turned and headed for the stairs. He'd catch up with his sister once Jude was alright. Little did he know what was to come.


	7. Return of the Ice Queen

AN-sry short chapter. I'm not feelign well today, but i'm trying to update more often...  
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I own nothing

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Tommy ran into the stark hospital room to see Pyra leaning over the bed, holding Jude down.

"She's seizing Tommy! I need you to press the red button on the wall and come help me get her to lay still!"

Tommy pressed the red button and then held Jude's legs as she seized. He was afraid.

"What's going on Pyra?" He asked

"She's having a reaction to the medications mixed together. It'll pass in a minute. Just hold her!" Tommy did and soon, true to Pyra's word, he felt her body calm. Jude lay motionless on the bed, and Pyra pulled the covers up to her chest, and wiped the hair out of her face.

"The medication can sometimes react funny with the chemo medication, but it'll be faster if we do it all now. That way she'll be less depressed when she returns home. Now, Let's pull up chairs and finish what we were talking about." Once they sat, Tommy leaned forward and hugged Pyra. She tensed at first, but then gradually returned the hug.

"Why didn't you come back? How did you survive? Why Didn't you call me? What have you been doing all these years? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHO YOU WERE WHEN YOU FIRST SAW ME?" Tommy yelled. Pyra cringed and then smiled motioning for him to keep his voice down.

"First, I didn't tell you who I was because I wanted to see if you'd recognize me. I still look the same. Only a little pudgier" She smiled and Tommy rolled his eyes, she was thinner than Jude! "Anyways, I didn't come back because I thought you never wanted to see me again. I didn't call because I was afraid. What I've been doing and how I survived sort of tie in together. When you left the hospital, the doctors told you I was going to die. You told them you wanted nothing to do with me and you signed away your rights to legal guardian. Well now I was a ward of the state. Then Gabe came in and asked to marry me. He became my fiancée and my next legal family member, as well as my will to live. After I had healed some, what with the baby being gone and all, we moved into his sister's house on the third floor apartment. I went to school and so did he. I worked and saved up money to go to medical school. He worked and saved up money to go to law school. Harvard offered him a full scholarship and that's where he's at right now. I'm running off a partial scholarship, and I have my nursing license. I'm working on my doctorate. I'd like to treat cancer, and also work with diseases like AIDS and other STDs."

"Wow" said Tommy. He felt a light chill, but ignored it He grasped his sister's pale hand and said "Pyra it's so good to see you a-"

"Is that _another_ girl that you're with? Jude would be so happy to see this." The Ice queen Sadie stalked over to Tommy and landed a hot kiss straight on his lips. Tommy pushed her away and she landed on the floor. Hard.

"Sadie this is my sister Pyra. Pyra this is Jude's sister Sadie. Otherwise known as the Ice Queen" Tommy said

"Hi Pyra" Sadie purred "I'm Tommy's girlfriend." She smirked cruelly

"Girl you aren't anything to him. And you are nothing to anyone. How dare you go after your sister's fiancée after all the things she's just been put through? How do you have the audacity to do this behind her back?" Pyra spit on the floor in front of Sadie and then pushed a blue button next to Jude's bed. A large bulky man appeared in the doorway. "Colin, I need you to remove this girl from the premises. She needs to stay away from Mr. Quincy and his fiancée Ms. Harrison for the rest of her treatment here at this hospital."

"Sure thing Pyra. Alright ms, you need to get up, here we go." The bulky security guard lifted the blonde pouting Sadie up off the floor and removed her to the hallway. Sadie flicked Tommy off before storming out of the hospital.

"Now let's move Jude to a more comfortable room, and give you someplace to stay the night" Pyra said gently.

"Good plan" Yawned Tommy


	8. Pyra's Family

AN- Sorry it took so long only to be so short... i'm creatively impaired today 333 As per the norm i don't own it

Pyra wheeled Jude's bed into an empty hospital room. Tommy kissed Jude's sweat covered forehead, before dimming the lights around her and leaving her in darkness. Pyra looked at Tommy and then laughed a little.

"What?" Tommy asked, confused.

"Gabriel and I never got married. I moved in with him to get up on my feet. Then I met Dani." Pyra hoped that she didn't give away her secret.

"Dani and I live together. And about a year back, we adopted a seven year old boy named James." Pyra led Tommy to the garage "If you give me a lift home, you can stay the night. We have a huge couch. And I think Dani'd love to meet you" Tommy nodded then smiled, pushing his black hair out of his eyes.

"I think I'd like to meet him." Pyra bit back a smile and nodded as Tommy led her to the dented Viper. Driving fast Tommy drove the block to Pyra's house. It was a small adobe house with trees in the front. A child's bike was leaned against the wall and a lazy dog lay with his eyes drooping shut, not even caring about the unfamiliar scent that was Tommy's as Tommy walked behind Pyra into the home. There weren't any pictures of the family together, but by the way the house looked, Tommy guessed a strong surfer type, complete with bleach blonde hair and a ripped body. _This guy must be really special if Pyra is living with him and not married to him._ Tommy thought as he looked at the surfboard leaned against the wall. It was all black and had the names Pyra and James painted on in white.

"Make yourself at home Tommy, Dani will be down in a minute." Pyra returned her attention to yelling towards the back of the house. "Dani! Hurry up!"

Tommy sat on the couch, his leather jacket still clinging to his back. His eyes caught a cute picture of Pyra and whom he guessed was James standing with another girl. The girl was past hot she was supermodel gorgeous. He wondered if maybe it was a sibling or a friend. Then Pyra stepped into the room, and Tommy turned his head towards her.

"Tommy I'd like to introduce My partner in crime and AIDS, Dani Sheller." Tommy blinked back his surprise when Dani walked into the room. Long lean legs clad in tight boot cut jeans, that exposed bare feet. A woven belt wrapped around the arrow and yet curvy waist. A set of hips that would make anyone drool, and a lean stomach that led up to a full bust, covered only by a small tank top. Then he looked at the face. Soft brown eyes, and curly mahogany hair fell in a tanned face. His jaw dropped. Dani walked forward and placed her hand out

"Tommy! It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Pyra's Girlfriend Dani, but I'm sure you already knew that. Although by the look on your face I'd think you didn't. Aha Pyra probably tricked you with the name Dani. Well anyway you look beat so I think I'll let you go to sleep. Night Tommy. It was so nice meeting you."

Tommy blinked hard as she went up the stairs. He wondered if this was dream. Pyra laughed somewhere in the room.

"Okay blankets are here, pillows are there. I've got to get up at four tomorrow. So sleep tight Big brother."

Tommy stripped of his jacket and shirt, revealing a tanned muscular stomach, then he lay on the couch and fell asleep instantaneously. Pyra laughed and shut the light off shaking her head as she walked up the stairs.


	9. Confronting Demons

I don't own it! i just borrow it and obsess a bit

We've reached the end y'all... it's been an exciting journey, and please tune into my other stories i'll be starting a new one sooner than you think!!! 333Chloe

* * *

It went like that for months. Tommy would sleep on Pyra's sofa, and then return to the hospital, watching over Jude. He often came in and sat over her. One Friday night he was interrupted from his daydreams of Jude by a soft knock on the door.

"Tommy?" Sadie stood there in humility and grace with tears streaming down her face.

"Sadie." Tommy stated it. It wasn't a question, nor was it forgiveness "Let's go get some coffee."

Sadie followed him silently as he walked with her to the hospital cafeteria. The bleak walls reflected his pale coloring, and Sadie's hollowed out eyes. When they sat, steaming coffee in hand, Tommy started to speak but Sadie interrupted sharply.

"Look Tommy, just let me talk first okay? I know I've done a rotten thing to Jude, but you don't even mean that much to me. She's always been better more famous more special. And I'm always second wheel. I just wanted to hurt her."

"Well you succeeded. Sadie, I'm not the one to apologize to. You're going to have to deal with your demons and deal with your sister." Sadie nodded solemnly, and swallowed back some tears. Tommy nodded his head for her to come with him, and she stood and followed him back to the room. Jude's doctor was just leaving and pulled Tommy aside as Sadie went in to speak with Jude.

"She's doing much better; I'm running some tests to see if she can go home. Chances are is she's in remission. The results will be back in a few hours." Tommy nodded quickly, his thoughts racing from those of fear and of jubilation. He waited patiently in the hallway until Sadie emerged from Jude's room. Her eyes were bloodshot from tears but all in all she looked much more at peace.

"I'm sorry Tommy. You deserve her." She laughed calmly and left the hospital with a soft smile on her face. Tommy entered Jude's room cautiously. She was propped up and staring past the flowers lining her window to a small sunny spot outside.

"Beautiful isn't it?" She asked when she felt Tommy's presence in the room.

"Yeah" he whispered although he wasn't even looking at the same view. Jude had a healthy glow to her now. She was gaining back her lost weight and her eyes had more of a sparkle now than they did before. When she went through Chemo she had cut her hair off because she couldn't stand the sight of it falling out onto her pillow. It was now in a spiky cut that made her pale face look even more elfin-like. When their eyes connected he smiled at the familiar spark that shot through him like a hot bullet. He sat next to her and laced his hand through hers and petted her soft hair. The doctor walked in and they both shot their eyes towards him expectantly.

"I have news. Jude is officially… in remission." Tommy's heart leapt joyously at this statement. The doctor prattled on about how she was able to go home but Jude and Tommy never let their eyes drop from one another. They were in a world of their own.

* * *

One Year Later.

Tommy stood nervously at the altar and awaited the musical cue. Everyone was around him. His friends, Pyra, Dani, Sadie. Everyone. But they weren't important now. No the only one who was important to him was Jude. He swore to himself that he'd never get that close to losing her ever again. And then the music started. He saw his angel, Jude walking down the aisle, accompanied by her father. Her hair was down to her shoulders again and a long rich hazel color now. The minister proceeded through the ceremony but all Tommy could think of was how beautiful she was. He waited for the words "I do" to be spoken and they looked at each other lost in their own world as usual. _I love you_ Tommy mouthed slowly _I love you too_ Jude mouthed as well.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride." The preacher looked expectantly at Tommy. As if he needed any more reason to kiss her than that. He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Whatever words were being said were drowned out by their own fireworks. He knew that no matter what, everything would be okay if he just held her in his arms.


End file.
